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Abstract

Aim: Recent epidemiological studies have reported a prevalence of females among patients with ruptured ascending aortic aneurysms (AsAA), identifying the female sex as a predictor of negative events (dissection, rupture, and death). The objective of this study was to examine sex differences in the rupture characteristics of AsAA wall tissue.

Conclusions: We demonstrate sex differences in the rupture characteristics of AsAA tissue, with circumferentially-directed wall tissue being stronger and stiffer in men. Comparable results have been lately presented for abdominal aortic aneurysms and an accumulating body of evidence suggests sex-related differences in the elastic characteristics of large-conduit vessels. Particular attention should be given towards a potentially pertinent association between the increased risk of negative effects found in females and the presently-reported sex differences in strength and stiffness of AsAA, as AsAA rupture is a biomechanical phenomenon arising when the hemodynamic stresses exceed the strength of vessel wall.